The module is designed to be relevant for those who support, mentor and assess student social workers and others engaging in formal and informal learning or development activities. It aims to equip practitioners with the necessary skills, values and knowledge to enable them to become effective Practice Educators.

It is made up of three blocks of study. The three blocks are studied sequentially. Students will be expected to engage with current research literature, demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge to practice, an in depth understanding of the knowledge base and a critical awareness of current issues in professional practice education. Block one focuses on managing and developing opportunities for learning and assessment in practice; block two considers enabling learning and professional development, and block three focuses on managing the assessment of learners in practice. Students are expected to produce a practice curriculum for the agency/workplace.

This module meets the requirements of Stage 1 of the Practice Educator Professional Standards for Social Work (Social Work Reform Board, 2010) which is a requirement for teaching, assessing and supervising social work degree students.

For this module there is a minimum post qualification experience requirement of two years.

If you have not studied any modules from this programme before please use the New Students application form. Please be aware that, while it is possible to link completed modules from the former Interprofessional Practice award into the new programme, you will still need to complete the New Students form to apply for your first module from the new programme.

Please ensure that prior to completing your application, you have had a discussion with your line manager and completed any internal training request processes, if applicable. You will also need to make arrangements for the payment of the course fees; for further details please see our Fees page.

Application

The New Students application form link will take you through to the University of Lincoln’s on-line postgraduate application tool, My Lincoln. Please complete all sections before you press ‘Submit’. If you find that you are unable to submit, please double-check all required fields are complete: you can check what information is outstanding by looking at the colour indicator next to each section heading – Green indicates that the section is complete, while Orange or Red show that there is still information to be added.

Important: Please be aware that, unless your highest level of qualification was issued by the University of Lincoln, we do need you to provide copies of supporting documents with your application, evidencing your highest academic qualification, together with evidence of your nationality, such as your passport or birth certificate. Applications cannot be processed without these, and this may result in you missing out on a place on your chosen course.

This will send you an automatically generated email to confirm your application has been submitted. The application goes straight through to the University’s central Admissions department for initial checks and then is sent on to the Professional Development Centre for review. You will receive an email confirming receipt.

Confirmation of your place

As soon as your application has been approved you will receive confirmation of your place via email. In the event that a particular course does not receive enough applications for it to run, you will be notified straight away and if possible, offered a place on the next available date.

Two weeks before the course starts you will receive your joining instructions pack via email.

Enrolment

Enrolment for the University has now moved online. About a month prior to start of the course you will receive an email from our Student Administration team with instructions on completing the online enrolment process. As part of this you will be asked to check and update your personal details and upload a photo for your student ID card.

On day one of your course, you will complete enrolment enrol with the University. You will be required to bring with you a recognised form of photo identification that confirms your nationality e.g. passport. Unfortunately, you will not be able to enrol without this and this could delay receiving access to university systems, including our online learning materials and the library.

All applicants, with the exception of those for the Best Interests Assessor module, are required to be qualified Social Workers, and have current registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

For the Best Interests Assessor module, applicants should be professionals from one of the following disciplines – social work, nursing, occupational therapy or psychology – and have an undergraduate degree level qualification or above.

Applicants should normally be employed by a service provider (in either Children’s Services or Adult Social Care) or in an education, health or social work related profession.

There is a minimum post-qualifying experience requirement for each module; this is specified for each on their individual module page.

Written Test

Applicants who have not undertaken study at a Postgraduate level before and whose Social Work undergraduate degree is 2:2 or lower, will be required to undertake a short written test. This can be submitted at any point in the application process however must be received by the Professional Development Centre, at cpd@lincoln.ac.uk, by no less than 1 month prior to the start date of the module applied for.

Due to the part-time nature of all these courses and the requirements of the Tier 4 (General) student visa set out by the UK Home Office, we are unfortunately unable to consider applications from international students.

A: In the first instance, please discuss this with your line manager and/or training manager. For advice from the Professional Development Centre, please email your query to cpd@lincoln.ac.uk

Q: My employer will not fund my place- can I fund it myself?

A: The majority of our applicants are sponsored by their employers; however we do also welcome applications from self-funding students. Please contact the Professional Development Centre for further information: cpd@lincoln.ac.uk

Q: How much are the course fees?

A: The fees are subject to change and dependent on the module studied. Please contact the Professional Development Centre for further information: cpd@lincoln.ac.uk

Q: Is there a deadline for applying for a course?

A: We ask applicants to try to submit their applications more than two weeks ahead of the start date. This gives us time to process applications and confirm places in time. However if applications are received after this point and there are still places available then we will try to consider them. If you are in this position we would advise you to contact the Professional Development Centre at cpd@lincoln.ac.uk so we know to expect your application.

Q: I would like to apply for an individual module rather than the entire MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Social Work. How do I do this?

A: All the individual Post-Qualifying Social Work modules offered are listed under the umbrella of the MSc Social Work Advanced Professional Practice and can be studied as stand-alone modules. To apply please select the MSc in Advanced Professional Practice in Social Work from the drop-down list in the Course Selection section of the online Postgraduate Application form, and include a line in your personal statement indicating which module(s) and cohort you wish your application to be considered for.

Q: I am experiencing difficulties submitting the online application form – what help/advice is available?

A: Applicants are required to complete all sections and subsections of the Postgraduate Application form therefore missing information is the most common reason for being unable to submit it. You can check what information is outstanding by looking at the colour indicator next to each section heading – Green indicates that the section is complete, while Orange or Red show that there is still information to be added. Once you have successfully submitted your application you will receive an automatically-generated email confirmation from our Admissions department.

Q: What do I do if my personal details change i.e. address or email (for a change of name please see below) before I have enrolled with the university?

Q: What do I do if my personal details change i.e. address or email (for a change of name please see below) after I have enrolled with the university?

A: You can update your student record via our student portal. You will have access to this following enrolment.

Q: I have changed my name since my initial application or enrolment. How do I inform the University of this change?

A: If you are based in Lincoln, please bring some evidence of the change of name e.g. a marriage certificate or legal document to the Student Support Centre and they will be happy to amend your student record. Alternatively please send a copy of your evidence to us, either via email to cpd@lincoln.ac.uk or via post to Professional Development Centre, University of Lincoln, Think Tank – Room 6, Campus Way, Lincoln, LN6 7TS..

Q: I need to withdraw my application before the course starts- what do I do?

Q: I cannot attend the first day or a later day on the course timetable, who do I contact?

A: Contact the Professional Development Centre: cpd@lincoln.ac.uk as soon as possible. Most modules will allow you to start if you cannot attend on day one. However the majority of the courses have a minimum attendance expectation of 80% and therefore you are advised to consider this prior to taking up an offer.

Learning and Teaching

There will be a variety of teaching/ learning opportunities, including lectures, workshops, action learning sets, tutorials, and individual, self-directed learning. Students will be supported to engage with the research literature. Individual tutorials aim to ensure that students are planning their studies, practice and assessment events, enabling them to meet all the learning outcomes.

Assessment

Students are required to complete two pieces of written work, equivalent to 8000 words in total:

Practice Analysis 1 is a reflective account of the preparation and planning required for a work-based placement. Students are expected to provide supporting evidence (for example, a practice curriculum for the workplace and a learning agreement). This is worth 30% of the overall module grade. Practice Analysis 2 focuses on analysing practice in relation to supporting students' learning whilst on placement and in relation to assessing students’ capability in a practice setting. A direct observation of practice is required. This makes up the remaining 70% of the overall grade.

To pass students must achieve a minimum of 50% in each assessment element.

Course Dates

The course is comprised of 4 full days of teaching.

The dates are:

3rd December 2018

17th December 2018

21st January 2019

25th February 2019

Specific tutorial days will be offered in February/March and June 2019.

Refresher half-day sessions (for students with January - March placement dates) will be offered at the end of March and the end of May 2019.

This module is worth 30 credits therefore suggestive of 300 hours of study in total, made of the aforementioned class attendance, combined with completion of assessments, reading and other study.

All teaching and tutorials will take place at our Riseholme Campus.

Closing Date for Applications

The closing date for applications is 1 month before the start date.

We will confirm with you at least 4 weeks prior to the programme start date if you have been allocated a place.